


Under the Rain

by tocasia



Series: Our Shining Past [30]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: AU, Dark, Gen, I reject your reality and substitute my own, Insanity, Mind Games, Sephiroth and Zack friendship, Stream of Consciousness, black cape, possibly disturbing, watching the rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 02:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12496596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tocasia/pseuds/tocasia
Summary: The incident with the raincoat.  Dark."Seph, you've gotta stop doing stuff like this if you want me to continue believing that you're sane."(30. under the rain) for Seph&Zack Friendship 100 Themes





	Under the Rain

Zack was happy that he'd finally gotten ahold of a raincoat with a hood big enough to cover his spikes. It was kinda floppy, but it was black, so he thought Seph would approve.

He was wrong.

* * *

Sephiroth stood several inches from the glass to keep his breath from fogging up the view. He liked to watch the rain at night, when the million little noises of everyday life had gone quiet.

The only sounds were the rain's futile assault against the walls and roof of the building, and the wind's efforts to tear it down.

He saw the blurring of the city lights through his office window, and pretended to hear distant, rushing splashes as cars drove through the standing water in the streets while torrents from heaven tried in vain to wash away the stain of civilization. And in stillness after, the reflections that were there even when they couldn't be seen.

...Rain inspired him to poetry. 

All that was _under_ the rain. He wondered what it was like _above_ the rain. Most of Shinra's aircraft didn't fly that high. Maybe it was lonely up there.

* * *

The coat was warm, too, and already mostly dry. 

Zack returned to his office to lock up. Judging by the soft light spilling from under Seph's door, his friend must be working late. Nah, probably he was staring out the window, leaning close to block the glare from the lights he'd left on.

Seph always looked so peaceful watching the rain.

Zack didn't want to disturb the scene, so he opened the door slowly. He expected Seph to turn around and ask him what he was doing here at this hour.

But that wasn't what happened.

* * *

With no warning whatsoever, as soon as he'd seen Zack, Sephiroth had grabbed him by the coat, lifted him with one hand, and flung him across the room, where he'd landed amongst the chairs in the waiting area next to the end table which had previously supported out-of-date science magazines. It was all splinters, now.

Zack's accelerated healing dulled the pain to the point where he could raise his head and squint through the shadow of his hood at Sephiroth, who was staring at him, eyes wide with panic. Shocked at his own action, maybe? Battle-honed reflexes were unforgiving, but Seph almost never meant to hurt him. An accident, then. No... it was more than shock. Seph was horrified, an emotion that didn't belong on the General's face. The stare became searching, but not seeing: Sephiroth didn't recognize him.

Because...

The carpet wasn't real, this wasn't a warm office, it wasn't a dripping raincoat. It should be rough cold stone instead. It should be a narrow winding walkway instead. A long way down, there should be green. A long, long fall. Zack's mind told him that was the truth, but his hands still touched fabric.

Water ran in sheets down the glass, the varying thickness of the stream distorting the lights. His vision blurred like that, too. There were no lights. There never had been. It was dark, except for where Sephiroth was; an icon of perfect calm from whom all traces of fear or confusion had vanished.

Zack couldn't see anything else.

Was that look of utter contempt really meant for him? Utter contempt, and... a relaxed _certainty_ that Sephiroth would soon receive, no, _take_ from this worthless _object_ at his feet something that he wanted very, very badly, alongside a lazy sort of contentment that he'd been waiting patiently for this promised thing and wouldn't have to anymore. A hungry look that turned into an unkind smile.

Outside, at regular intervals, the wind's fury intensified and then diminished, sometimes colliding violently with the swaying Shinra building that didn't exist. No, the swaying should be his own, after coming so far. That's why he was shaking.

Absolutely focused on ...whatever he wanted that he wasn't going to ask for... Sephiroth came closer, his unchanging expression cruel and possessive, lustful, even. For what...? There was a solemnity, an air of ritual to Sephiroth's approach. ...for some unknown desire, unknowable but for his steady expectation of it. Like he was already imagining the pleasure he'd get from... whatever it was he was about to do.

It was practically radiating off him.

Strong enough, strong enough that... no, Zack couldn't possibly be feeling what Sephiroth felt. Oh but he _wanted_ to. He wanted it more than _anything_. To be closer. And yet, it was distant, like maybe it wasn't really there at all.

What was? Nothing. Only rain on the roof.

Zack tried to roll into a better position to sit up. He flexed experimentally. He could breathe without pain and no bones were broken. Clarity might not last long. He had to take a chance. Could he say something? Run like hell? Yeah that one seemed good. First, he'd....

Looming above him, Sephiroth looked surprised at his motion, as if witnessing the impossible.

"What number are you?"

It hadn't been an order, right? He was free to say anything. But his reply was drowned out, dragged under by the force that wanted a different answer. Thoughts that had once been his poured away, were pulled closer, ever closer, swept down into the cold but loving abyss, to the promised end. Don't worry; when it is over, you will be whole again, with me.

Only a small subset of truths were allowed in response.

"I don't have a number."

Zack wasn't really the one who said it.

It wasn't real.

* * *

"Why did you throw me across the room?" It took every ounce of control Zack had to keep himself from swearing at his totally crazy commander.

The window leaked. The rain was Mako. This was an office. The lights were on.

" _You_ will not wear that hooded black coat, nor any other cape or cloak like it. I forbid it."

Zack groaned and shifted the wreckage of the chairs so he could stand. How the hell was this the fault of a damn _raincoat?_

Well, okay, fine. There was really no point in arguing. "Yes Sir."

Sensing his bitterness, Sephiroth said, "I'm sorry, Zack, I... you startled me. I should be more careful. I'm glad you're unhurt."

Unhurt! Sweet Shiva, he was going to have bruises from this. "You owe me an umbrella."

"Here, you can have this one."


End file.
